How to Become a Bush Pilot

James Wynbrandt and Flying Staff

Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at 03:19 PM ET

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Floatplanes are staples of North American bush operations. Georgian Bay Airways

Key Takeaways:

Bush pilots operate in remote areas, requiring excellent backcountry flying skills, self-reliance, resourcefulness, and a specific attitude for success and survival.
Career paths include commercial operations, often seasonal and supporting various industries, and missionary aviation, which supports faith-based objectives and often requires an A&P license and self-funded salaries.
Training varies by path but typically involves commercial pilot licenses, specific endorsements (e.g., float, tailwheel), and significant flight hours, with entry-level positions often starting with ground support and valuing additional practical skills like mechanics.

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Bush pilots operate in remote areas worldwide with little operational support. Career success and survival require excellent backcountry flying skills, self-reliance and resourcefulness, and above all, the right attitude, say bush pilots Glen Ferguson and Keith Saulnier. They represent the two bush-pilot career paths you might consider: missionary aviation and commercial operations.

Saulnier owns Georgian Bay Airways in Parry Sound, Ontario, which offers a Career Bush Pilot Program, and Ferguson is CEO of the International Association of Missionary Aviation (IAMA), whose 60-some member organizations include mission-aviation fellowships and colleges with mission-aviation programs. Here are their tips for becoming a bush pilot.